[Part of the AMA Milwaukee Marketing Advice Column Series]

[Q:] Which web-based press release wire service is best for small and medium business clients?

[A:] You're making a smart move for your clients. A good, targeted list of journalists is still the best way to go for most press, but the wire services have their advantages. The wire services not only serve to reach your distribution targets, but they have ancillary benefits that can help in your clients website search engine rankings as well.

The two big wires, Businesswire and PRNewswire, are both highly regarded but can cost several hundred dollars per news release. For small businesses looking to make a splash, I personally recommend PRWeb. They take the value of PR on the Internet very seriously and have distributions options ranging from free to $200, depending on how widely you want PRWeb to circulate your message into alternative vehicles such as Google and Yahoo news and the Overture Pay-Per-Click search engine marketing service.